


A Small Kindness

by Magnetism_bind



Category: Peaky Blinders
Genre: Caretaking, Episode Related, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 13:59:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2550104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magnetism_bind/pseuds/Magnetism_bind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after 205 - Ada looks after Pol.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Small Kindness

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a tumblr prompt

Ada knows she can call the maid but she'd rather do it herself. It’s little enough. She heats the hot water bottle, before slipping it between the sheets. They’re fresh, and she’s laid out the thickest blanket she could find in the cupboard.

“This is cozy.” Polly stands in the doorway, eying her. “Thought you’d be asleep.”

Ada shrugs. “You looked like you could use some looking after.” She misses the shadow crossing Polly’s face as she draws the sheets back.

“Come on, you’ll feel better once you’re in bed.” She reaches out a hand but Polly waves her off as she pulls her shawl closer round her shoulders. Ada suppresses a sigh, but lets her aunt take herself to bed.

“This is very nice.” Polly’s eyes are already half-closed as she draws the blankets up to her shoulders. “You’re a good mother, Ada.”

Fiercely Ada blinks away unexpected tears, “So are you.” She’s not crying at this. It takes more than this to bring her to tears.

She stands there, reluctant to leave. Polly’s already drifted off, fingers curled around the covers. She deserves better. They all do, to Ada's way of thinking, but Pol does the most. She's looked after the lot of them since they were little. During the war, while the boys were gone, she ran the family. She was the family. She _is_ the family now. Without her they'd be nothing.

Ada presses her hand to her head for a moment, remembering the weariness of it all. The long gray days and endless nights. Yet there had been freedom with those days too. Now though, she has her child to raise, and at long last Polly has hers. Can’t there be a moment’s peace for either of them? How far do they have to go before they find it?

She doesn’t know what happened tonight, but her gut tells her it’s bad, that Polly will carry the weight of it with her throughout the days to come, and she’ll need someone to have her back. Ada may not want to claim any part of the Shelbys these days, but Polly is the one member of the Shelby clan she won’t let herself abandon. She turns the lamp down low, but leaves it burning. If Polly wakes in the night it won’t be to the dark.

After a moment, Ada sinks down by the side of the bed. She watches Polly shift in her sleep and touches the corner of the blanket, straightening it. Eventually she’ll go to her own bed, but for now she wants to make sure Polly is safe. She remains there until she believes it.


End file.
